Published Mar 01, 2026 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Mar 01, 2026 | 8:00 AM
Despite the divorce petition accused Vijay of committing adultery, his fans are standing by him.
Synopsis: Vijay’s fans believe that the divorce is a personal issue, and the petition was leaked by opposition parties to take on TVK. They also referred to yesteryear politicians having flaws in their personal lives, but did well for the state. Deaths in Karur stampede or allegations of adultery by Vijay’s wife — nothing seem to perturb his fans.
The leak of the divorce petition filed by Sankgeetha Vijay, wife of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) chief Vijay, has sparked a political debate in Tamil Nadu, even as the actor-politician’s followers stood firm behind him.
Over 40 people may have died in a stampede at Karur during Vijay’s rally, after which he left in haste to Chennai; his wife may have made charges of adultery and cruelty against him in her petition but for Vijay’s fans, the actor is the “victim”.
The petition, filed before the Chengalpattu Family Welfare Court in December, was leaked to the media on Friday, 27 February.
While the incident has whipped up a debate on who leaked the petition, a larger political question has emerged: Will this controversy dent Vijay’s image among his fans? Will it affect his political prospects?
“This is all being done by opposition parties to stop Vijay from entering politics. His personal life has nothing to do with his political life. He must be given an opportunity. If he commits mistakes after that, the people will remove him,” 25-year-old homemaker Vennila from Coimbatore reacted to the petition.
According to the divorce petition, Vijay has allegedly been in an extramarital relationship with a female actor since 2021.
The petition stated that when she confronted him after learning about the relationship, he initially promised to end it, but allegedly continued the relationship.
It further claimed that multiple reconciliation attempts were made, but they failed. Following the dispute, she alleged that Vijay completely sidelined her, restricted her independent life, and alienated her in various ways.
The petition also sought that the case proceedings be conducted in camera, requesting that it not become a subject of media discussion.
Although the petition was filed in December, it surfaced only three months later in February 2026, causing widespread political debate.
Following this, social media saw sharp criticism of Vijay, while his supporters claimed that the controversy was a conspiracy by the DMK and the BJP to politically target him.
Despite the controversy dominating media and social media discussions, conversations with Vijay’s fans suggested that it has had little to no impact on their support for him.
D Swetha, a 26-year-old private company employee from Chennai, said, “This is a conspiracy by opposition parties because he entered politics and is growing. Leaders in those parties themselves have had multiple marriages. Now, deliberately during election time, they are spreading this.”
When asked how she would justify supporting Vijay if the allegation made by his wife turned out to be true, she responded, “If that is true, it is wrong. But I don’t have an answer for that.”
Twenty-five-year-old Abirami echoes a similar view: “If it is wrong, I don’t know what should be done. But he has come forward trusting us. Whatever happens, we will vote for him and stand by him.”
“We don’t even know whether these allegations are true. As far as I am concerned, I hope they are not true,” she added.
Twenty-five-year-old lawyer Nisha shared the same opinion.
“Just because his personal life may be problematic does not mean his political life will be the same. He must be given a chance,” she opined.
Homemaker Vennila argued that Tamil Nadu politics has seen leaders who faced personal criticisms and controversies in their private lives.
“One can list leaders like MGR, Karunanidhi, and Jayalalithaa. But didn’t they do well for Tamil Nadu? Didn’t they introduce many welfare schemes? Just as we gave them opportunities, Vijay should also be given a chance,” she said.
She further pointed out that if, after being given an opportunity, Vijay failed to deliver good governance, people could remove him from power. “We should not decide even before giving him a chance,” she adds.
Not just women fans, but male supporters also appeared unfazed by the development in Vijay’s personal life.
G. Selvam, 32, a Chennai-based fan of over 20 years, said, “This is a planned conspiracy by the DMK during election time. The DMK and the BJP have joined hands to defeat our leader. As a last weapon, they have now turned his wife against him.”
When asked whether an extramarital relationship was wrong, he replied, “It is wrong. But even in ordinary households, many problems exist. In families like theirs, this is common. It is their family issue. It should not be politicised.”
Despite such serious allegations made by his wife, Vijay’s fan base appeared largely unaffected.
Instead, many supporters were convinced, without concrete evidence, that this was a conspiracy by the DMK, AIADMK, and BJP to politically weaken him.
Tamil scholar and political observer Tamil Kamarasan had earlier told South First that the “god-like and saviour image” constructed around Vijay would play a crucial role.
“In Vijay’s case, he doesn’t even need to respond to those criticisms. His fans themselves interpret the issue and arrive at the answers they want to believe. That is his strength,” he said.
He also cautioned that the emergence of a large, politically unanchored youth base in Tamil Nadu’s political arena was becoming a significant development. He expressed concern that both the ruling party and the former ruling parties were not taking this phenomenon seriously.
Tamil Kamarasan argued that the loyalty many of Vijay’s supporters display was not necessarily rooted in clear political reasoning.
“If you ask his supporters why they back him, there is often no clarity,” he said. “They criticise the DMK, but they are unable to clearly articulate why Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam is the alternative. The support is emotional, not ideological.”
This became evident during conversations with Swetha, Abhirami and Nisha.
When asked whether they would continue to support Vijay even if the allegations made in the divorce petition were proven true, all three responded that they would back him.
However, when pressed further, on what basis they would justify that support if the allegations were indeed true, they struggled to provide a clear answer; some admitted, “We don’t have an answer for that.”
Others attempted to rationalise it by pointing out that leaders in the DMK, too, had faced similar allegations in the past, arguing that such controversies were not new in Tamil Nadu politics.
The responses revealed a pattern: while there is an acknowledgement that an extramarital relationship would be wrong, it does not necessarily translate into political withdrawal of support. For many, the issue was a private matter or normalised within the broader landscape of Tamil Nadu’s political culture.
Senior journalist Priyan Srinivasan said that this incident will not affect Vijay’s core fan support in any significant way.
However, he added, “Among the 6 to 8% voters who were considering supporting Vijay instead of voting for the DMK or AIADMK, this may have created confusion. Earlier incidents, such as the Karur episode and issues related to income tax, had already raised doubts. This controversy may further increase that confusion.”
At the same time, he cautioned that nothing can be stated with certainty; it may impact the vote, or it may not.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
